I always think Jim Lawrence is a bit of an unsung hero of the interiors industry. Their range is a go-to for hardware, lighting, and valuable bits like curtain rails are second to none. Their latest offering is this excellent martini table, 'Hampton Table', it is simple, chic and not too expensive at the fine price of £110.
We've all been witnesses to the stripe mania; it had a good start a few years ago and has opened to the masses with a covid-like contagion, similar to that of bobbins, scallops and other wavy-edged beasts. But like all the aforementioned trends, there is no reason to turn your back just because it is the flavour of the year. I suggest waiting for a beat or two. Sit with it. If you still like the piece, remember it will soon fade out of others' hearts, and hopefully, your forward thinking will have left you firmly untrendy but happy. So if you like me, know that stripes will be a forever friend. I would cast your eye to the Stripes Company, in particular - Directors Chair Loose Covers. I am dying to buy these but choosing the colour will be my problem. So perhaps I'll wait for a few beats and prepare them for next year.
I think I have admitted before that my brain has been heavily pulped into believing the capitalist agenda. My head assures me that I am in need of a new dress, face cream and perhaps a groovy new jumper. However, I know in my heart I can well do without, especially as we all tighten our belts and think about what sort of footprint we want to leave. Such things as Luce Thread have been a healthy dollop of inspiration. She darns clothes beautifully, using different threads throughout and creating an exquisite piece of clothing which has been well worn and thoroughly loved. To see if she has any availability for your holey piece, email here - thelucethread@gmail.com
Table settings, everyone got pretty over-excited about them. They looked like something out of Steel Magnolias, then the predictable pushback, and you were suddenly eating off a bin bag. I am all for a meet in the middle, so these tablecloths from Sarah Espeute are just the ticket.
Many of you will be well aware of The Colony Room Club, but for those of you who aren't - it was a private members' club in Soho. Muriel Belcher founded it in 1948, running it until her death in 1979. It became a meeting place for the elite and the not so elite, 'Brian Patten described the Colony Room Club as "a small urinal full of fractious old geezers bitching about each other". For Molly Parkin, the club was "a character-building glorious hellhole. Everyone left their careers at the roadside before clambering the stairs and plunging into questionable behaviour". The members included Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, and in the 90s, it attracted the wild YBAs such as Tracy Emin, Sarah Lucas, and Dameon Hirst, each of whom I believe gave a piece of art to the club. Before its closure in 2008, it was taken over by Michael Wojas, who had been a barman under the previous owner; Michael painted 'bilious green', which is why it's on the list today. It caught my eye. Bilious to some, not me; I rather like it in the right place, not my house. But in The Colony Room Club.
You may have seen in our Summer Essentials we included a bag from Maison Bengal. The amount of bags I could have chosen from them is ridiculous. I am not a flashy bag kind of lady - I am a pile everything you can into would well be an overnight bag. So these guys ticked all the boxes. I haven't even mentioned that they are Fairtrade. Do you know how many things aren't fairtrade and very expensive - well, a lot? So let's put our money in a good place and spend it with Maison Bengal.
Tapistelar is a textile studio between Bogotá and Rome, founded in 2019 by Giovina Carabba and Santiago Hoyos. They have exquisite thick linen textiles, made to measure rugs and as the perfect finishing touch - placemats.
'Magic' is the first word I think of when I look at Palacio do Grilo; the second 'Jealous'. As I am worried, that I won't be able to experience Palacio do Grilo for myself. That being said, I feel this place alone is worth the flight to Lisbon. So much of life can feel copied and pasted; just the photographs of Palacio do Grilo helps your senses shake and lifts your heart in the knowledge that people are creating mad and wonderful experiences for us to enjoy.
'Inside an 18th-century Portuguese palace, Julien Labrousse’s Palacio do Grilo is a restaurant in the middle of a living theatre where each member of the team is an actor or performer, ready to surprise the audience. The architect creates this unique and joyful artistic experience in a singular and slightly eccentric approach to offer a unique cultural experience in the heart of Lisbon. In a collaboration with artist Olivier Urman and interior designer Elsa Kikoine, the Neoclassical structure is preserved while new themed furniture, sculptural artworks and scenography are tailor-made and curated for the restaurant to enhance the unique festive experience.'
Peter Ivy grew up in Austin, Texas. He went to the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, he taught there and at Massachusetts College of Art. In 2002 he took a pilgrimage to Japan, where he ended up teaching at the Aichi University of Education; he taught there for five years. In 2007 he moved to the rural part of Toyama. Here 'he hand-built his workshop in an ancient Japanese warehouse. His minimalist approach to glass vessels contrasted with the decorative, western-influenced glass available at the time and earned him wide recognition in Japan and abroad as the precursor of a new movement in glasswork.' They are extraordinarily beautiful. A sense of calmness radiates from their simple but expertly executed form.